Red Fountain Grass Bare Root Plants – 3 Pack Ornamental Grass for Fall Color

Overview

Introduce spectacular color and texture to your outdoor spaces with our red fountain grass bare root plants. This offer includes three starter plants, ready to establish quickly and provide a stunning visual display. Known scientifically as Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, this ornamental grass is celebrated for its vibrant burgundy to deep red foliage, which intensifies in full sun. The graceful, arching leaves create a fountain-like shape, adding dynamic movement and a sophisticated touch to garden beds, borders, and containers. Perfect for those seeking a fast growing landscape grass, these bare root specimens are an economical and effective way to achieve a lush, colorful garden.

Red fountain grass bare root plants are an excellent choice for a variety of garden styles, from modern minimalist designs to more traditional landscapes. Their distinctive plumes, emerging in late summer and continuing into fall, begin as soft pinkish-tan and mature to a silvery hue, providing extended seasonal interest. This hardy and adaptable grass is not only beautiful but also remarkably easy to care for, making it a favorite among both seasoned gardeners and beginners alike. Plant these bare roots directly into your chosen location and watch your garden come alive with rich color and elegant form.

Key Benefits

Our red fountain grass bare root plants offer numerous advantages, making them an ideal addition to almost any garden. These benefits extend beyond their undeniable beauty to include practical aspects that contribute to a thriving and enjoyable outdoor environment.

• Striking Visual Appeal: The deep red to purple foliage of this ornamental grass fall color intensifies with ample sunlight, providing a dramatic focal point or a rich backdrop for other plants. Its vibrant hues ensure your garden remains captivating through multiple seasons.
• Graceful Form and Texture: The arching leaves create a distinctive fountain-like silhouette, adding elegant movement and a soft, feathery texture to your landscape. This unique form complements various garden elements and helps to break up monotonous plantings.
• Versatile Garden Use: Whether used as an accent plant, in mass plantings for a sweeping effect, or integrated into mixed borders, pennisetum setaceum rubrum adapts beautifully. It’s also an excellent choice for container gardening, allowing you to bring its beauty to patios and balconies.
• Low Maintenance & Drought Tolerant: Once established, this low maintenance garden plant requires minimal care. It is remarkably drought-tolerant, reducing the need for frequent watering and making it a sustainable option for water-wise gardening.
• Extended Seasonal Interest: From its vibrant foliage in spring and summer to the appearance of soft, feathery plumes in late summer that mature to a silvery shade, Red Fountain Grass provides continuous visual interest well into autumn. The dried plumes can even be used in indoor floral arrangements.
• Fast Growth Rate: As a fast growing landscape grass, these bare root plants establish quickly, allowing you to enjoy their full beauty sooner. This rapid growth helps fill in garden spaces efficiently and effectively.
• Attracts Wildlife: The plumes can provide shelter and seeds for small birds, adding a touch of natural wildlife to your garden ecosystem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your red fountain grass bare root plants is straightforward, ensuring they flourish and provide years of beauty. This ornamental grass is known for its resilience and adaptability, thriving with just a few key considerations. The most crucial factor for vibrant foliage color is sunlight. These plants demand at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily to achieve their deepest red and purple hues. In shadier conditions, the foliage may appear greener. Ensure your chosen planting site offers ample exposure to the sun for optimal growth and color saturation.

When it comes to watering, pennisetum setaceum rubrum prefers consistently moist soil during its establishment phase. However, once mature, it becomes quite drought-tolerant, making it an excellent low maintenance garden plant. Water deeply when the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch, and reduce watering frequency in cooler weather or once the plant is established. Well-draining soil is paramount to prevent root rot. A sandy loam or general garden soil amended with compost will provide the ideal growing medium. This grass is typically hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, where it can be grown as a perennial. In cooler climates, it is often treated as an annual or brought indoors during winter months.

Fertilization is generally not heavily required for Red Fountain Grass. A light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring can promote vigorous growth, but avoid over-fertilizing, which can lead to excessive green growth at the expense of vibrant fall color. Pruning is best done in late winter or early spring, before new growth emerges. Cut back old foliage to about 4-6 inches from the ground to encourage fresh, healthy shoots. This practice also helps maintain the plant’s tidy, fountain-like shape. Keep an eye out for common garden pests, though Red Fountain Grass is generally resistant, and address any issues promptly with appropriate organic or chemical solutions.

Size & Details

This offering includes a 3-pack of red fountain grass bare root starter plants. Each bare root is carefully prepared for planting, ensuring a healthy start in your garden. Once established, these plants are known for their vigorous growth and will typically reach a mature height of 3 to 4 feet, with a similar spread, creating a substantial and impactful presence in your landscape. Their fast growing landscape grass nature means you’ll see significant development within the first growing season. These plants do not come in pots, allowing for direct planting into your garden beds, borders, or large containers.

The arching form of this ornamental grass fall color creates an impressive display, and the feathery plumes add a delicate, airy quality. Expect the plumes to emerge in late summer, evolving in color from pinkish-tan to silvery as they mature, extending the plant’s ornamental value through autumn. These bare root plants are a cost-effective way to achieve a vibrant, established garden quickly, providing excellent value for their visual impact and ease of care.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How tall will my Red Fountain Grass get? A: Your red fountain grass bare root plants will typically grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet, with a similar spread, creating a beautiful, arching form in your garden. This mature size provides a substantial presence in any landscape design.
• Q: What are the sunlight requirements for this ornamental grass? A: For the best foliage color and vigorous growth, Red Fountain Grass thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Adequate sunlight is key to achieving the deep burgundy hues.
• Q: Is this a good plant for beginners? A: Yes, pennisetum setaceum rubrum is an excellent choice for gardeners of all experience levels. It is a low maintenance garden plant, known for its resilience and drought tolerance once established, making it very forgiving.
• Q: What condition will the bare root plants arrive in? A: Your order will include 3 bare root starter plants, carefully packaged to ensure they arrive in good health, ready for planting. They will not be in pots, allowing for immediate placement in your garden.
• Q: When is the best time to plant Red Fountain Grass bare roots? A: The best time to plant bare roots is typically in spring after the last frost, allowing the plants ample time to establish their root systems before the heat of summer. This also ensures they are ready to display their full fall color.
• Q: Will Red Fountain Grass survive winter in cooler climates? A: Red Fountain Grass is generally hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11 as a perennial. In cooler climates (below Zone 9), it is often grown as an annual or can be overwintered indoors in a container.
• Q: Can I use this grass in containers? A: Absolutely! Its graceful form and vibrant color make it an excellent choice for container gardening, allowing you to add a dramatic touch to patios, decks, or balconies. Just ensure the container has good drainage.
• Q: How fast does this ornamental grass grow? A: As a fast growing landscape grass, Red Fountain Grass establishes quickly from bare roots. You can expect significant growth and development within the first growing season, providing a beautiful display relatively soon after planting.
• Q: What kind of soil does Red Fountain Grass prefer? A: This ornamental grass thrives in well-drained soil. A sandy loam or general garden soil amended with some organic matter is ideal to ensure proper drainage and root health.
• Q: How often do I need to water established Red Fountain Grass? A: Once established, Red Fountain Grass is quite drought-tolerant and requires minimal watering. Water deeply when the top few inches of soil are dry to the touch, and reduce frequency during cooler periods.